Social Engineering (Security)

In information security, social engineering is the use of psychological pressure to influence a person into performing an action or divulging confidential information that may not be in their own best interest, functioning as a type of confidence trick aimed at gathering information, committing fraud or gaining system access. It differs from a traditional con in that it is usually one step among several in a larger fraud scheme, and phishing is itself one common form of social engineering. Researchers reported that through 2024 social engineering attacks had increased in both intensity and number, making it a growing challenge for organizations and countries alike.